Countries Where Curling is Most Popular
Sports play an incredibly important part in the lives of so many people. From helping them to stay in shape to helping them find an avenue for their aggressiveness, sports have undoubtedly helped society as a whole become better. Some sports are more popular than others. Soccer, for example, is popular worldwide. Other sports, such as American football, are incredibly popular in a few countries, but virtually unknown in others. Yet other sports, such as curling, are widely known, but have special significance to people from a few select countries.
Most Popular Curling Countries
Canada. Curling, as a sport that is played on ice, enjoys wide popularity in countries that are frequently cold. Canada, for example, has a thriving curling community. Canada’s curling teams consistently rank number one in competitions with other curling teams from around the world.
- Scotland. Curling’s significance in Scotland is undeniable. People of all ages enjoy this somewhat wild sport in Scotland. The curling teams from this United Kingdom nation consistently rank in the top five in the world. Scotland is one of the countries where curling originated, so the reason behind its importance is easy to see. It is also Scotland’s national sport, which further emphasizes its importance to Scottish culture.
- Norway. Similar to Canada, curling’s importance in the icy country of Norway can easily be predicted because of the constant cold weather. Since curling is a winter sport, places with more cold weather are likely to have a larger curling population than warmer countries. Norway is one of the colder countries, so its curling base is incredibly well-established.
Switzerland. Besides the fact that curling is a sport meant to be played in the cold weather during the winter, it is also a widely European sport. These two facts coupled together explain why it is such an important part of the culture in the beautiful country of Switzerland.
- United States. Despite the fact that cold weather is not found widely and consistently throughout the U.S., curling is still a popular sport. Part of the reasoning behind this is that many Europeans immigrate to the U.S. Additionally, people in the U.S. tend to take an interest in things that they can win at. Given that there is not as much competition in curling as in some other sports, the American teams are actually ranked in the top ten curling teams worldwide.
- China. While China is neither a European nor a cold country, curling is incredibly popular in this huge nation. In fact, the curling team of China consistently ranks above the U.S. team. Since it is such a large nation, the Chinese tend to take at least a limited interest in virtually every sport, and curling is no exception.
Importance of Curling
Throughout its rather long life, the sport of curling has left a marking influence on a variety of people, places, and other sports. It has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands. Those who play curling genuinely enjoy it; those who do not often enjoy watching it. Regardless of whether you play the role of competitor or spectator, curling is an incredibly engaging sport with a lot of action and worthwhile moments.